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Wednesday, April 6, 2005

THE THEORY ABOUT the illegitimacy of Britain's monarchs since Edward IV has been around since..., well, Edward IV. It is amazing how succeeding generations of quack historians - most recently, that diminutive manservant from Black Adder who is pushing a treatment of the matter on the History Channel - "discover" it and attempt to flog it to the (increasingly indifferent) masses. The whole idea of five centuries of illegitimate monarchs is, in actual fact, bunk of the first rank, for reasons which I shall explain here.

The conjecture that Edward IV was a bastard was active in his lifetime, and there is, in fact, reason to believe that the conjecture may have been well-founded. Some recent scholarship suggests strongly that Richard, duke of York, was on campaign in France and nowhere near his wife, Cicely Neville, at any time when Edward could plausibly have been conceived. The record indicates that this possibility was widely whispered in Edward's lifetime, and that Edward's supporters (and ironically, the Tudor monarchs) fought actively to disprove the rumours.

All this matters, in principle, because Edward's claim to the throne derived from the descendency of his father, Richard of York, from Edward III (through his grandfather Edmund, duke of York, third son of Edward III; and his father Richard, earl of Cambridge, who was attainted of high treason by Henry V and executed in 1415). In many respects, Edward's claim to the throne was on the same order of strength as that of Henry VI, who descended from the second son of Edward III, John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster. As we all know, the fact of this strong claim, which provoked Richard's persecution at the hands of Henry VI's wife, Margaret of Anjou, touched off the Wars of the Roses. But I digress...

If Edward had, in fact, been born of a father other than Richard, he would not have been of the royal blood, and would therefore have been entirely without a legitimate claim to the throne. More to the point, however - given that Edward's brother, Richard III, who undoubtedly was legitimate and therefore definitely of the royal blood, was killed on Bosworth Field by Henry (VII) Tudor in 1485 - are the implications with respect to the Tudor dynasty. Henry VIII's royal blood derived in part from that of his mother, Elizabeth, who was the daughter of Edward IV. The theorists point out that the loss of this link would upset the rightful order of precedence to the succession.

Henry VIII was, however, also of the royal blood in his father’s right – his father was great-great-grandson of John of Gaunt. The bastardy of Edward, even if fact, would therefore not sever the blood continuity of Britain's monarchs from Henry VI to his Tudor successors on the throne. Let me now come to the point of my argument, which is three-fold: first, that the potential bastardy of Edward cannot now be lawfully established; second, that Edward’s bastardy, even if proved, would not substantially affect the legitimacy of Tudor and subsequent claims to the throne; and third, that even if Edward had been a bastard, and even if that bastardy had in fact severed the blood continuity of the Crown, it would not finally matter in the slightest.

It is self-evident that the information available to us today is insufficient to rule on a point of fact that is 563 years in the past, especially on an issue of such vast consequence. The evidence was insufficient at the time, and has been so considered ever since.

Second: the Tudor dynasty’s blood links to the Plantagenets derived from both sides of Henry VIII's parentage. So issues of precedence aside, continuity of the royal blood would not have been fully interrupted by Edward’s supposed bastardy. And what significance can we meaningfully attach to such second-order issues of precedence, in a century that saw the Wars of the Roses - the storm sown by the usurpation of the Crown of Richard II by Henry (IV) Bolingbroke – pass the Crown three times between competing branches of the same family?

Which brings me to my final point. The right of kings, within the span and scope of British history and law, does not derive exclusively from birth, but from the fact of rule which may, under exceptional circumstances, be established by means other than rightful precedence or even of blood inheritance. Such circumstances obtained, for example, in the cases of Henry Bolingbroke, Henry Tudor, and William the Conqueror. In the latter case, the right to the throne was established and recognized by outright force of conquest, irrespective of any (in fact extant) blood ties to a prior king.

These arguments are irrefutably and completely vindicated and upheld by over five centuries of British history - those centuries establishing fact and precedent that by themselves are absolutely unassailable under British constitutional law.

9
comments:

Anonymous
said...

Sound arguement for the most...but spoiled by your way, way OTT support for the Royals...Ok, they are fine for Britain's history and tourism...but what good have they ever done for the poor? its is a fact, that the Queen has Billions of pounds-worth of oil paintings in basement which never even see light of day...Enough to feed many third world countries I reckon.

Firstly, John of Gaunt was the FOURTH son of Edward III. Secondly, the House of York's claim derived from their legitimate descent from Lionel, Duke of Clarence, who was the THIRD son of Edward III. The House of York also descended from the fifth son of Edward III, the line mentioned in the article.

Proving Edward IV's bastardy in the 15th century would have been considerably more difficult than nowadays, as DNA tests did not yet exist.

Likewise, Richard III's claim was largely because Edward IV's own children were illegitimate, not Edward IV himself. Edward IV was already trothplight to another when he "married" Elizabeth Woodville, hence the "princes in the Tower" were born out of wedlock. Richard III himself firmly supported(whether he believed it or not) that Edward IV was his legitimate brother. It is only in Shakespeare's abomination that Richard III spreads the "Edward is a bastard rumours). Likewise, Richard had no reason to dispose of his nephews as, being bastards, they were not in line. However, Clarence's son WAS in line, or at least would have been, had his father not been attainted by...Edward IV. Hence Richard III's need to see Edward IV as legitimate. Had Edward IV been shown to be a bastard then Richard III would not have inherited the throne, Clarence's son would.

Lastly, the author also fails to mention that Henry Tudor descended from john of Gaunt, not through John's wife, but rather through his mistress, Katherine Swyfford. As an ILLEGITIMATE descendant of Gaunt, Tudor had no claim to the throne by way of bloodline whatsoever. After seizing the throne by way of conquest(which one could argue is the ONLY way to consider him a rightful King), Henry had to besmirch the good name of Richard III. The solution was to claim that Both Edward IV AND, more importantly, his children were legitimate, thus making Richard III the wicked usurper of popular fiction. However, if Richard III was a usurper then if either of Edward IV'S sons were still alive, he rather than Tudor would be King. Thus the disappearance of the Princes(supposedly killed by Richard III) and the marriage of Henry Tudor to Edward IV's daughter of Elizabeth of York, the union through which Elizabeth Windsor descends(possibly as the issue of the legitimacy of James Stuart, VI of Scotland and I of England is another matter entirely).

Thus you have an illegitimate Royal bloodline(Henry Tudor), and an illegitimate non-Royal bloodline (Elizabeth of York) as the ancestors of all subsequent Kings and Queens.

Further to the poster above, in 1485 Henry Tudor was NOT the senior heir to John of Gaunt. This was not only due to the fact that Tudor descended from Gaunt's extramarrital adultery, but also from the fact that Gaunt had other legitimate children besides Henry Bolingbroke/Henry IV. In 1485 the heir general of Henry VI was none other than the King of Portugal.

Likewise, Elizabeth of York was never the head of the House of York, as she was female. At the time, only males could inherit the throne, although claims could pass through LEGITIMATE(which she was not) females to their legitimate sons. Even assuming that she was the legitimate daughter of a legitimate man, her own line could not lay claim to the throne before she had given birth to a son. Her eldest son, Arthur, was only born in 1486, the year after His Most Royal Majesty Richard III had been most traitorously assassinated by treasonous rebels at Bosworth Field. Now, assuming the standard Tudor propaganda that His Majesty had killed the "Princes In The Tower", then, it being, 1485, the claim for the House of York would pass to the next legitimate male heir. This was either Edward, Earl of Warwick, or John De La Pole. Since Elizabeth had not yet married Henry Tudor, her own line could not possibly have become the Senior Yorkist Line.

The ONLY way that one could somehow consider the descendants of Henry Tudor and Elizabeth "of York" to be legitimate is to recognize that this was a Foreign Invasion by the Franco-Welsh Tudor, and as with Hastings or when Hengist and Horsa first appeared, and entirely new and separate era of English History begins in 1485. William The Conqueror was himself a bastard who had only the vaguest possible claim to the throne, yet he achieved this aim through Force of Arms. The same goes for Tudor. We must then realise that the period 1066-1485 represents a self-contained period of English History, and that Henry Tudor and Elizabeth "of York" may as well have been Barbary Pirates who assassinated the last English King of England and began an entirely new dynasty, that had no connection to the previous one. However, the heir general to William The Conqueror is indeed Michael Abney-Hastings.

The problem I have with this is that people continue to claim that Elizabeth Windsor's claim can be traced all the way back to Cerdic (or even The Messiah Himself!), and that Her claim in ancient and Divine. This is pure nonsense. Elizabeth Windsor's "ancient" bloodline and claim begins in 1485. And even then, she is not the heir general to Henry Tudor, but rather to Sophia of Hanover.

We can recognise that She is The Lawful Queen, but please do not insult people's intelligence by claiming that her "ancient and divine birthright" extends back any further than 1714.

Further to the above two posters, there are two other noteworthy points.

Firstly, Edward Earl of Warwick also descended from Edward III from his MOTHER'S side. She was a legitimate descendant of Thomas of Woodstock, so even if his father's attainder was valid, he would still have been in the line of succession. Richard III named as his heir, both Warwick as well ad John De La Pole, his nephew by his sister. However in 1487 at the Battle of Stoke De La Pole fought under the banner of King Edward(Warwick). The De La Poles were relentlessly persecuted and assassinated by both Henry VII and Henry VIII until William De La Pole's murder in 1539, at which point Legitimists looked to....the heirs of Warwick. The Tudor monarchs made an effort to assassinate all the issue of Edward III, both legitimate and illegitimate, that was not descended from Henry VII and Elizabeth(Edward IV's daughter). By the 1540's (and certainly by the time of the death of Edward Courtenay) Warwick's heirs were the legitimate Monarchs, even if we take into account the aforementioned attainder. One must wonder if the Tudor reign was so "secure" and "peaceful" why so very many people of Royal Blood had to be killed in so brutal and grotesque a manner, usually on trumped-up charges. Henry VIII even had the son of Norfolk murdered, as he descended from a younger son of Edward I!

The second, sorter, point is that the legal heir to Henry VI and the House of Lancaster was none other than George Duke of Clarence.

The reason for this is multifold. Firstly, 15th century English law stated that foreigners could not be King. Thus the descendants of John of Gaunt's daughter in Portugal were barred. After Henry VI and his son Prince Edward of Wales came the House of York. However Henry VI had attainted Edward IV, meaning that George of Clarence was the next in line after Henry VI and His son. Likewise Edward IV's bastardry disqualified him anyway. It could be argued that since Richard, Earl of Cambridge had attainted and thus the House of York were out of the line of succession. However, their descent from Richard's WIFE Anne Mortimer was superior to the Lancastrian claim, and her brother was alive when her son was born, making her son the heir. If people are unhappy with this, then George, Duke of Clarence's wife was descended from Thomas of Woodstock, so after both the Houses of Lancaster(the legitimate English heirs killed off) and the House of York(disqualified, though not really) came the descendants) of Thomas of Woodstock! Clarence's son to be precise. And again by the 1560's Clarence's descendants were the only legitimate heirs to Woodstock.

The second far simpler reason that George Duke of Clarence was the Lancastrian heir was because Henry VI Himself and His parliament had made it law that should Henry VI and Edward Prince of Wales(His son) both die having failed to produce legitimate issue, then the Crown must go to....George Duke of Clarence and His legitimate issue.

Thus Michael Abney-Hastings is the Rightful King in far more ways than just the fact that Edward IV was not the issue of Richard Duke of York.

To the above, you are wrong on one point. By the 1560s Woodstock had multiple heirs. However the Hastings were still first in line.

In addition Isabella Neville was descended from a line of Edmund Duke of York that was not attainted, making her descendants the senior line in that regard.

In addition both George, Duke of Clarence and his wife Isabella Neville were descended from John of Gaunt through the same mistress (Katherine Swifford) that Tudor and his supposed heir Elizabeth Battenberg-Wettin is descended. If merely having a descendant of Gaunt marry a descendant of Richard Duke of York unites the Houses, then Abney-Hastings again has the superior claim, as regards Edward IV's illegitimacy. However, as the previous posters noted, both Clarence and his wife were both descended both from legitimate offspring of Edmund Duke of York, as well as illegitimate issue of Gaunt, but Clarence was the legitimate heir to both Lionel Duke of Clarence(who was the older brother of both Gaunt and Edmund of York), as well as the legal and legitimate heir of the last Lancastrian King Henry VI.

Since Henry VII and Elizabeth of York were cousins(even if her father was not Edward IV, her mother was still the granddaughter of John of Gaunt). For such a marriage to have been regarded as valid in 1th Century pre-Reformation England, a Papl dispensation was required. However, the marriage went ahead without such a dispensation. Thus in the eyes of English Law, Henry VII and Elizabeth, daughter of Edward IV, were never legally married. Hence all their children, grandchildren etc. all the way to the present day are illegitimate. Thus when Henry VII died in 1509, his throne should have passed to the next nearest relative. This was either the heir of George of Clarence and Isabella Neville(who DID receive the necessary Papal dispensation) or the Duke of Buckingham, depending on your point of view on attainders. In any case with the murders of the Stafford family in the name of Henry VIII, the George/Isbaella Neville become the undisputed legal heirs to Henry VII, as both were descended from Gaunt.

Although Henry VII maintained that HE was The King, and his wife a mere consort, who would be the heirs to her claim? Again, since she was never legally married, it would have fallen to her sister's line. With the death of Edward Courtenay in 1566, Elizabeth's legal claim(as she was never legally married) would then have passed to the self-same descendants of George and Isabella, both as he was Edward IV's brother, and also as she was the heir general to Constance of York.

All of this is rather superfluous. Because "King" James I and VI was not the son of Mary, Queen of Scots and Henry Stuart Lord Darnley. This was well-known for centuries until the vermin such as "The Monarchist" covered it up. In fact, the illegitimate son of The Earl of Moray was substituted for Baby James, who was then hidden in the walls of the Earl's castle. Some crackpots such as Antonia Fraser have brought it up, but only to mock with factual errors. Both The "Windsors" and the Jacobite "Royals" are thus descended from illegitimate traitors. Henry Tudor's true heir general is the Lady Caroline Ogilvy(nee Child Villiers), as "King James Stuart" murdered Margaret Tudor's only other descendant, Arbella Stuart.

What is also noteworthy is that some smug bottomfeeders have said things to the effect of "it matters not whether they were illegitimate as they were legally regarded as their fathers' sons" etc. Well, that may be fine for the nouveau riche, social-climber parasites, but TRUE Monarchists do rather require their Sovereigns to be legitimate and of Royal descent.

Why does that revolting Mrs Oldenburg woman still occupy Saint Edward's Throne? She is not by any stretch of the imagination The Lord God's Chosen Ruler of the British Peoples. Just because some corrupt politicians, money lenders and bankers wish for her to sit upon the Throne that rightfully belongs to another does not make it right. Just because some insidious illegitimate descendant of her ancestors(and thus her cousin) swans around as "Prime Minister" does not make that person any more the Rightful Leader of parliament any more than she is the Rightful Monarch. In a very real sense, the Great Nations of England and Scotland, and part of the Great Nation of Ireland are under an illegal foreign occupation by agents of Satan himself. Anyone who supports this vile woman, her "Prime Minister" henchmen, and her unGodly and avaricious "Laws" is an agent of the Devil. When Judgement comes any and all who showed their support for these beasts of Babylon will burn for all eternity. God save the Rightful King and His Family, and let us pray that HE may deliver unto the British Peoples their true and just King, and that He may reign over the British Peoples with God's Laws, and that Elizabeth Oldenburg, the Whore of Babylon may be cast into the pit.

Monarchy can easily be debunked, but watch the faces, mark well the debunkers. These are the men whose taproot in Eden has been cut: whom no rumour of the polyphony, the dance, can reach - men to whom pebbles laid in a row are more beautiful than an arch. Yet even if they desire mere equality they cannot reach it. Where men are forbidden to honour a king they honour millionaires, athletes or film stars instead: even famous prostitutes or gangsters. For spiritual nature, like bodily nature, will be served; deny it food and it will gobble poison - C.S. Lewis

- GOD SAVE THE QUEEN -

I declare before you that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of the great Imperial Commonwealth to which we all belong. - Princess Elizabeth, 1947

There is something behind the throne greater than the King himself.- William Pitt the Elder

- DEFENDER OF THE FAITH -

The character of Kings is sacred; their persons are inviolable; they are the anointed of the Lord, if not with sacred oil, at least by virtue of their office. Their power is broad - based upon the Will of God, and not on the shifting sands of the people's will. They will be spoken of with becoming reverence, instead of being in public estimation fitting butts for all foul tongues. It becomes a sacrilege to violate their persons, and every indignity offered to them in word or act, becomes an indignity offered to God Himself. - Archbishop John Healy

Archbishop: Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the Peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, ...and of your Possessions and other Territories to any of them belonging or pertaining, according to their respective laws and customs?

Queen: I solemnly promise so to do.

- SOVEREIGN OF REALM -

To be a king and wear a crown is more glorious to them that see it than it is a pleasure to them that bear it.- Queen Elizabeth the First

If your job is to leaven ordinary lives with elevating spectacle, be elevating or be gone. - George F. Will

- FOUNT OF JUSTICE -

And in choosing to leave the selection of their head of state to this most common denominator in the world - the accident of birth - Canadians implicitly proclaim their faith in human equality; their hope for the triumph of nature over political manoeuvre, over financial and social interest; for the victory of the human person.- Jacques Monet

Without authority there is no liberty. Freedom is doomed to destruction at every turn, unless there is a recognized right to freedom. And if there are rights, there is an authority to which we appeal for them.- G. K. Chesterton

Oxford gave the world marmalade and a manner, Cambridge science and a sausage

- CROWN-IN-PARLIAMENT -

Above the ebb and flow of party strife, the rise and fall of ministries, and individuals, the changes of public opinion or public fortune, the British Monarchy presides, ancient, calm and supreme within its function, over all the treasures that have been saved from the past and all the glories we write in the annals of our country. - Winston Churchill

...in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honour, and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look that threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded, and the glory of Europe is extinguished forever. - Edmund Burke

The King feels so strongly that, no matter the crime committed by anyone on whom the VC has been conferred, the decoration should not be forfeited. Even were a VC to be sentenced to be hanged for murder, he should be allowed to wear his VC on the gallows. - Lord Stamfordham, 1920

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed Shall think themselves accursed they were not here, And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day. - William Shakespeare

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.- Laurence Binyon, For the Fallen

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Act of Settlement: Here's a Tory view, and here's a Whig view
Lord Black: The magnificent absurdity of George Galloway
Vice-Regal Saint: Remembering Paul Comtois (1895–1966), Lt.-Gov Québec
Britannic Inheritance: Britain's legacy. What legacy will America leave?
Oxford Concision: Daniel Hannan makes mince meat of Gordon Brown
Commonwealth Voyage: World cruise around the faded bits of pink.
"Sir Edward Kennedy": The Queen has awarded the senator an honorary Knighthood.
President Obama: Hates Britain, but is keen to meet the Queen?
The Princess Royal: Princess Anne "outstanding" in Australia.
H.M.S. Victory: In 1744, 1000 sailors went down with a cargo of gold.
Queen's Commonwealth: Britain is letting the Commonwealth die.
Justice Kirby: His support for monarchy almost lost him appointment to High Court
Royal Military Academy: Sandhurst abolishes the Apostles' Creed.
Air Marshal Alec Maisner, R.I.P. Half Polish, half German and 100% British.
Cherie Blair: Not a vain, self regarding, shallow thinking viper after all.
Harry Potter: Celebrated rich kid thinks the Royals should not be celebrated
The Royal Jelly: A new king has been coronated, and his subjects are in a merry mood
Victoria Cross: Australian TROOPER MARK DONALDSON awarded the VC
Godless Buses: Royal Navy veteran, Ron Heather, refuses to drive his bus
Labour's Class War: To expunge those with the slightest pretensions to gentility
100 Top English Novels of All Time: The Essential Fictional Library
Royal Racism? Our intellectually febrile self appointed arbiters of modern manners
The Story of Bill Stone, RN: "Contented mind. Clean living. Trust in God"
Bill Stone: Last British veteran of both world wars dies
Reverse Snobbery: "Prince William and Harry are not very bright"
Poet Laureate: The English-Speaking Peoples need a poet laureate
Prince Harry: Much Ado about Nothing
H.M.A.S. Sydney: Australia seeks answers to its worst naval disaster
BIG BEN: Celebrating 150 Years of the Clock Tower
Winnie-the-Pooh: Canada's famous bear, Winnie (Winnipeg), to be published in a sequel
Not Amused: Traditional fairytales are not politically correct enough for our children
The British Empire: "If you were going to be colonized, you wanted to be colonized by the British"
Gross Constitutional Impropriety: Without mandate for change, plebiscites work to undermine the system

2008 ARTICLES

Count Iggy: Michael Ignatieff takes the reigns of the LPC
Lord Black of Crossharbour: Harper and Ignatieff promise a rivalry for the ages
Strange Bedfellows: The monarchy is safe from this republican
Fount of Dishonour: The growing distinction of remaining an unadorned Mister
Republican Poet: Colby Cosh on that mute inglorious Milton
Church of England: The Conservative case for the Established Church of England
Liberal Secular Scrooges: A Blight on the Festive Landscape
Fount of Honour: The Queen's New Year Honours List
Act of Settlement: the last brick in a crumbling wall, by Philip Lardner
What next, Mr. Hannan, the conservative case for disestablishing the monarchy?
Hair to the Throne: Prince William's beard is fit for a King.
Canada's House of Lords: Why reforming the Senate is profoundly unwelcome.
Someone who gets it: The proper relationship between liberty and democracy.
More Pseudo Democracy: Keep on voting until you get it right.
Royal Christmas: Queen's Christmas Message still trumps seasonal schedule.
Archbishop Williams: A 'certain integrity' to a disestablished Church of England.
Loyal Subject: Debunking the antimonarchist claims of The Economist.
Royal Prerogative: Grand Duke says no to legalised murder assisted suicide.
Lord Iggy: The Nobleman versus the Doberman
It's Over: the day, the decision, the crisis, the coalition, and Dion’s leadership
Loyal Subject: Speak out Charles, our teenage politicians never will
Prince Charles at 60: 60 Facts About HRH, Prince Charles of Wales
Remembrance Day Hymns: O Valiant Hearts; Abide With Me
For Liberty and Livelihood!Duke of Norfolk leads hunt protest ban
Keating Remembers: "I have never been to Gallipoli, and I never will"
John Cleese a Republican? An anti-monarchist rant worthy of Monty Python
Balfour Declaration: The precursor to the Statute of Westminster
Beaverbrook's Grandson: SAS Major Sebastian Morley resigns in disgust
"His Mightiness": Yanks and the royals; the Eagle and the Crown
England Expects: The Hero of Trafalgar at 250
Harper and Howard: An embarrassing example of Anglosphere Unity
Crowning Insult: Labour's legacy will be its destruction of the monarchy
Her Excellency: An Interview with Governor-General Quentin Bryce
Age of Oversensitivity: Churchill wouldn't stand a chance in Canadian election
William of Wales: Prince chooses RAF career over that of a 'working Royal'
Australia's Loyal Opposition: Republican Turnbull now on Queen's side
Loyal Subject: The Age of Elizabeth II, by A.N. Wilson
Tory Icon? Daniel Hannan says British Tories should follow Stephen Harper
Chasing Churchill: Around the world with Winston
Her Majesty The Queen - A Life in Film
The Crown in Oz: Australia swears in first female governor-general
Lèse majesté? The Royal Australian Institute of Architects drops the 'royal'
Rest In Peace: David Lumsden of Cushnie (1933-2008), President of the 1745 Assn.
Monarchies Rule: Prominent Australian republican says monarchies are the best
Sir Don Bradman: Oz remembers The Don, the greatest cricketer batsman of all time
Padre Benton: The Living Tradition in Piddingworth"Stodgy anachronism" More moist, vapid effusions from the Diana cult
Drool Britannia: London Summer Olympics 2012
Taki the Aristocrat: Unrepentedly wealthy and well mannered
Wanted: Uncorker Message in a bottle faster than Royal Mail
The Other St. George: Will Georgia restore its monarchy?
Gentlemen's Clubs: The Great Club Revolution of New York
The Laughing Cavalier: What an utterly absurd article
Health unto His Future Majesty: "Royalty dares to challenge the New Order"
"Grace, Your Grouse!" Better to kill a fellow gun than wing a beater
Boys will be adventurous: To Ulaanbaatar by London cab
A King's Breakfast: A trenchant defence of the full English breakfast
Republican beer: Forget Coopers, support Fosters
Trafalgar Square: Sanity prevails on the fourth plinth
The Empire Builder: How James Hill built a railroad without subsidies
"Harvard was not amused": Alexander Solzhenitsyn, 1918–2008
Greatest Briton: Wellington is "greater than Churchill"
Death of the Necktie? A well-tied tie is the first serious step in lifeNot Amused: The next Chief Justice of Australia to be a republican
Royal New Zealand Air Force: God Save N.Z. from the Cannibals
Why English Pubs are Dying: The totalitarian smoking ban.
Swooning over Princess Obama: A Coronation or the Second Coming?
Dreams of an Academic: Gough Whitlam to have the last laugh?
Joshua Slocum meet President Kruger: Yet another reason to love the Boers
Changing of the Guard: Annual Inspection at Rideau HallH.M.S. Iron Duke: A Foe for William and Sea Room
Fountain of Honour: Australian pop star gets Order of the British Empire
DOMINION DAY: Read David Warren's Lament for a Nation
Kiwi Tribalism: Sealords, Treelords, what are New Zealanders coming to?
Of Queen and Country: John Elder disects the current state of monarchy in Oz
Not Amused: The Olympic Games trump Buckingham Palace
CMR Returns: The Royal Military College of St. John
Hereditary peers overwhelmingly rejected the Lisbon Treaty
Archbishop Cranmer: Royal Assent given to the Treaty of Lisbon
Crown Commonwealth: Referendum confirms Her Majesty as Queen of Tuvalu
Duke of York: Prince Andrew Visits Troops in AfghanistanTreaty of Lisbon: A Litmus Test for the British Monarchy
The Queen and I: The man who caused royal kerfuffle gives view of the monarchy
HMS Ontario sunk in 1780, found intact! at bottom of Lake Ontario
Hold the Lime, Bartender: Only lemon properly complements a gin and tonic
Elizabethans Down Under: Are most Australian monarchists merely "Elizabethans"?
Edwardian Gentleman: What To Do When You Find a Hohenzollern in Your Study
Hooray for Kid's Day!! Melbourne newspaper won't come of AgeUnhappy Kingdom: Why Liberal Democracy is Failing UsKnightless Realm: The world yawns as John Howard is made an ACScots Tory: Bring Back the Stiff Upper Lip, says Gerald WarnerHMY Britannia: Let's lay the keel for a new royal yachtFor Queen, Country and Low Pay: PM pledges to do betterMaple Leaf republic? Roger Kimball's sleight of hand (since corrected!)Queen's Birthday: New Zealand unveils new Vice-Regal StandardPrince Charming: Quebec author calls Canadian G-G a "negro queen"
The Senior Service: Sub-Lieutenant Wales to take on Pirates of the Caribbean
Crown of Disenchantment: What does it require to withhold royal assent?Colonial Mentality: Key republican thinks Victoria Cross is a colonial relic
The Red Baron: Billy Bishop, not Mannock, was the British Empire's top aceWhich Scots conservatism: Unionist or Nationalist?
Loyal Subject: After all she has done, we owe the Queen our oath
Victoria Day – Fête de la Reine: Official B'day of the Queen of CanadaRenaming the Victoria Day Weekend: Let's get rid of Heritage Day Bob
Pro Valore: Canada mints its own Victoria Cross in time for Victoria DayState Visit to Turkey: Mustafa Akyol says God Save the Queen, IndeedNorn Iron Unites: What issue is uniting all parties of Northern Ireland?Extreme Loyalist: Michael Stone attempted to slit the throats of Adams and McGuinness because he just "can't handle" republicans being in government.Canada's Vice-Regal dubbed an elegant mix between Lady Di and Nelson Mandela
Queen of Australia: Support for Australian republic hits new low
A Heroes Welcome: The Windsor Castle Royal Tattoo, 8-10 May 2008Fat, Vile and Impudent: Alan Fotheringham is back on the bottleThe Devine Right of Bling: Our Royals have become hereditary celebrities
Battle of the Atlantic: Canadians remember the longest battle of WW2
Old Etonian Toff: Boris Johnson installed as Tory Mayor of London
Britain needs a Patron Saint: Cry God for Harry, Britain and St. Aiden?Anglos in Mont-Royal: Rooting for the Montreal Canadiens
Daniel Hannan: Borders of the Anglosphereand the British Empire was a mistakeAustralia 2020: One Big Fat Republican Con Job
Bye bye Tommy: O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy go away"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Carpetbaggers Down Under: Kevin 'Mugabe' Rudd wins 98.5% support for republic
Kipling: The Jeremiah of Empire and the Poet Laureate of Civilisation
Duke of Edinburgh: Behind the gaffes is a man of real sincerity
Lord Rutherford: The Father of the Atom lives on in great great grandsonQueen of Australia: Royalty Protects us from Tyranny, David Barnett
Long Live the Broadsheet! Norumbega, more traditionalist than the Pope.
A Tale of Two Countries: Soldiers of Britain and Canada serve the same Queen but...
Loyal Subject: Polishing the Royal Crown, Matt Bondy & Brendon BedfordDevoted to the End: Obituary of Sir Phillip BridgesThe Monarchist does not recognize the Republic of KosovaLoyal Subject: MPs Ruse Defeated; God Save the Queen!St. Paddy's Day: Edmund Burke, the greatest Irishman who ever lived
Not Amused: The Bunkum of Timothy Garton Ash
Hero Harry: Rave Reviews across the Commonwealth
Patriot Prince: Prince Harry fought for us all, Charles Moore
William F. Buckley, RIP: He had a Tory gratitude for the pleasures of life
Their Lordships' Duty: The House of Lords can influence the Lisbon Treaty debateKnights of Oz: Revive Sirs or I'll have your guts for garters
Peter Hitchens: People love the Queen...and the BBC hates us for it
Our Greatest Monarch: Paul Johnson says Henry V was our greatest monarch
Princess Diana Inquest: A Dirty Raincoat Show for the World
Malcom Turnbull: 'Queen's death will spark republican vote'
Duke of York: The Royals are not "stuffed dummies". They should have their say
Peers of the Realm: The decline and fall of the House of Lords - Charles A. Coulombe
Peter Hitchens: Get rid of the monarchy and you will get rid of a guardian of liberty
THE FALL OF CHURCHILLHonouring Sir Edmund Hillary
The Queen versus an E.U. President
Going Solo: Prince William earns his Wings
James C. Bennett: The Third Anglosphere CenturyKnights of Oz: Revive Sirs or I'll have your guts for gartersPrincess Diana Inquest: A Dirty Raincoat Show for the World
Malcom Turnbull: 'Queen's death will spark republican vote'
Future Peer: The life and times of Lady Victoria BeckhamPeers of the Realm: The decline and fall of the House of Lords - Charles A. Coulombe
Peter Hitchens: Get rid of the monarchy and you will get rid of a guardian of liberty

2007 ARTICLES

New York Times: Ever Backwards into the Royal Future
Peter Hitchens: People love the Queen...and the BBC hates us for it
Christopher Hitchens: An Anglosphere Future
Andrew Cusack: Republicanism is a traitor's game
DIAMOND WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
Courageous Patrician: Rt Hon Ian Douglas Smith (1919-2007)
The Last Rhodesian: What began with Rhodes and ended with Ian?
Gentleman Journalist: The Lord Baron W.F. Deedes, 1913-2007
Not Amused: Blair's sinister campaign to undermine the Queen
Loyal Subject: Queen Elizabeth: A stranger in her own country
Reverence Deference: Bowing and Scraping Back in Tradition
Rex Murphy: Kennedy, Churchill, Lincoln - The rousing bon mot is no more
Gerald Warner: Don't shed a tear for Diana cult in its death throes
The End of Grandeur: Rich, chincy Canada puts Strathmore on the blocks
Confessions of a Republican Leftie: "The Queen charmed the pants off me"
The King's Own Calgary Regiment: Cpl. Nathan Hornburg is laid to rest
The Royal Gurkha Rifles: Prince William grieves the death of Major Roberts
Queensland Mounted Rifles: Trooper David Pearce, 41, killed in Afghanistan
The Order of Canada: 100 investitures later, Canada's highest honour turns 40
Prince Edward on Prince Edward Island: Troop's link to monarchy important
HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN: Unveils the UK Armed Forces Memorial
Great Britain: "A rotten borough with a banana monarchy" - by Europhile
FADE BRITANNIA: THE UNION OF ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND IS OVER - Simon Heffer
Peers of the Realm: The decline and fall of the House of Lords - Charles A. Coulombe
Remembering 'Smithy': An obituary tour de force by Andrew Cusack here, here and here.
NOT AMUSED: Her Majesty The Queen in Right of Quebec not invited to Quebec's tercentenary